The present invention relates to an improved exhaust system and cooking apparatus, specifically to an eye-level oven having an exhaust system intake in its bottom wall positioned generally above a stove.
In previous cooking apparatus having an eye-level oven mounted generally above a stove top, an exhaust hood has been provided on the top of the eye-level oven. Gases and cooking fumes in the stove top vicinity had to travel up past the front of the eye-level oven and into the intake of the hood which was usually mounted near the front top surface of the eye-level oven. Such exhaust systems have proven to be less than wholly satisfactory for a number of reasons. For example, since the cooking fumes had to travel a considerable distance to the intake of the exhaust hood, the fumes tended to dissipate throughout the entire room rather than entering the exhaust hood. Also, the airflow from the stove top to the hood was generally directed into the face of a cook producing discomfort and inconvenience. Furthermore, the fumes from the stove top tended to deposit grease, carbon, and the like on the bottom and front walls of the eye-level oven. In many ovens gases emanating from the stove top could escape around the sides of the eye-level oven avoiding the intake of the exhaust hood.
The present cooking apparatus and exhaust system provides an additional exhaust system intake which is located in the bottom wall of the eye-level oven. Thus, the primary intake of the exhaust system is located directly above the stove top and is therefore positioned for receiving gases, fumes and the like emanating from food cooking on the stove top. This additional intake mounted in close proximity to the source of most cooking fumes greatly increases the efficiency and effectiveness of the exhaust system. Furthermore, this additional intake port is incorporated into an exhaust system which includes an intake port mounted on the top front surface of the eye-level oven.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a cooking apparatus is provided with a stove and an eye-level oven mounted generally above the stove top. A filter is mounted in an intake port located on the bottom surface of the eye-level oven. The filter receives air and gases from the vicinity of the stove top and directs these gases through a duct system extending rearwardly along the bottom of the oven and then upwardly along the back of the oven to an exhaust hood which is mounted on top of the oven. A fan mounted in the exhaust hood pulls air through the aforementioned filter and duct system and discharges the air through at least one of three discharge ports.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an exhaust hood mounted on the top of an eye-level oven includes an intake port on the front surface of the hood near the face of the eye-level oven for receiving air and gases into the exhaust hood, the gases then being exhausted through at least one of three discharge ports.
In accordance with another aspect of this invention the exhaust hood mounted on the top of the eye-level oven includes an intake chamber and an exhaust chamber with a fan port connecting the two chambers. A fan is positioned within the fan port such that the fan creates low pressure in the intake chamber and a high pressure in the exhaust chamber relative to atmospheric pressure. The fan is switched into an "off" and "on" condition and into various angular velocities by a switch electrically connected to the fan and mounted on the front surface of the exhaust hood. The low pressure draws gases including air into the intake chamber from intake ports. The gases drawn into the intake chamber are forced into the exhaust chamber and exhausted through one of three discharge ports. Also provided is a pivotally mounted cover means for selectively covering the front intake port and the front surface of the exhaust hood. The cover includes a hole for providing access to the aforementioned switch when the cover is in a closed position.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an exhaust hood includes a ductless discharge port for discharging filtered air which was drawn from the cooking area back into the exterior area around the cooking apparatus. The exhaust hood further includes a top discharge port and a rear discharge port for connection to duct systems which direct the air collected from the cooking vicinity to a remote discharge area. Plates are provided to selectively cover discharge ports which are not to be used.
In accordance with another aspect of this invention the exhaust hood includes an isolated chamber that is positioned over exhaust vents in the eye-level oven. Gases exhausting from the oven enter the isolated chamber and are exhausted through discharge ports in the top surface of the third chamber.